Writing the self 3: Picky Eater

Pakistan 1988: I am sitting at the dining table waiting for my cook to bring my breakfast as it’s almost time for school. I look at my spotless blue school uniform and the white scarf on my shoulders. I always feel happy when I wear a freshly laundered uniform brought by the washerman. I love the feel of crisp cotton against my body and I love the smell of fresh laundry. My favourite song, “I wanna dance with somebody” is playing in the background. I am rocking with the beat, moving my feet and singing along. The soft feel of my freshly showered hair and the strong smell of my lavender shampoo is making me feel very happy and energetic. It’s going to be a great day.

My cook brings my food and the look of the egg suddenly spoils my mood. I always like my egg half fried and hate the hardened yolk. All the aroma and flavour are in a wet yolk and now this. Mom knows what I like, then why did she let him bring this egg to me. I am very mad and leave the table. My mom is coming with my lunch box in her hands and looks at me worriedly. She knows me well. “ Oh my love, it’s just a little carelessness of the cook, just wait for a second and I will make one for you myself”.”No thank you, Mom, I don’t know why he can not remember what I like. I think it’s time to get a new cook” and I stomp out of the house to where the driver is waiting to take me to school. I kick a rock on the way and sit in the back seat. I open the fruit bun I grabbed on my way out and start eating in anger.

The car is moving smoothly towards my school but I can not take my mind off missing my favourite morning egg. The traffic light turns yellow and the driver pushes the brake hard which gives me a jolt and brings me back to the world. I am about to yell at the driver for not driving slowly but I catch a glimpse outside the window on my right side. I see a 5-6-year-old boy sitting beside a garbage pile on the side of the road. He is just wearing ripped shorts and nothing else on his body in this chilly weather. There is a 2-3-year-old girl sitting beside him and I see that boy’s shirt is on the girl’s body. The way he is hugging her confirms that they are siblings. They look very dirty and look like they have not taken a bath in months. My eyes tear up when I move closer to the window just to see the boy picking up a rotten apple from the garbage and giving it to his sister. I see a huge grin on the girl’s face and she greedily takes a big bite. The light turns green and the car moves forward. I am looking back and watching the kids sharing their apple and laughing. 

I think about my morning and feel so terrible. What great blessings I have and have so many luxuries in my life. There are so many people in this world who have nothing to eat, no place to live, and no clothes to wear. I have everything a person could ask for and I am not grateful at all. I am a different person today, because of what I saw all of those years ago